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Theodore Roosevelt/Transcript
Transcript Text reads: The Mysteries of Life with Tim and Moby. Moby is sitting in a kitchen reading "The Lost Symbol". Tim walks in. Tim is wearing a turn-of-the-century American soldier costume and pince-nez glasses. TIM: Hey, Moby. Check out my Theodore Roosevelt costume. Moby glances over at him, then returns to his book. TIM: Bully. Big stick. Bull Moose. Panama. Moby's arm stretches toward a kitchen drawer. He removes a pair of scissors, a bottle of glue, and a hand mirror from the drawer. He cuts a lock of Tim's hair, squeezes glue on Tim's upper lip, and sticks the hair there to make a moustache. Then he shows Tim his own reflection with the hand mirror. TIM: Huh, thanks. Tim reads from a typed letter. TIM: Dear Tim and Moby, who was Theodore Roosevelt? From, Hannah. Hey, Hannah. Theodore Roosevelt was the twenty-sixth president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. But that was just one of his many job titles. He was also a rancher, a military officer, an author, a hunter, a naturalist, and the loving father of six children. Images illustrate these aspects of Roosevelt's life. TIM: Roosevelt was born in 1858 to a wealthy family in New York City. As a boy, he was frail and suffered from terrible asthma. An image shows a young, sickly Theodore Roosevelt. He is bedridden and coughs. TIM: To improve his health, his father encouraged him to spend lots of time outdoors and develop his body through exercise. As a result, he developed a lifelong love of nature and a dedication to athletics and physical fitness. Images show the young Roosevelt playing in the wilderness and standing in a boxing ring. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, his father also urged him toward a career in public service. So after graduating from college in 1880, Roosevelt joined the New York State legislature as a Republican. An image shows Roosevelt as a young adult. He is standing in front of the State Seal of New York. TIM: But then tragedy struck: his wife died after giving birth to their daughter, and his mother died the same day. Roosevelt was torn apart inside. To find peace, he moved to the badlands of the Dakota Territory and spent a few years as a cattle rancher. An animation shows Roosevelt dressed as a frontiersman, riding a horse in a rocky wilderness. TIM: When he came back east, he reentered politics with newfound determination. An image shows a well-dressed Roosevelt looking across the Hudson River at the city of New York. MOBY: Beep. TIM: As police commissioner of New York City, he fought widespread corruption. An image shows Roosevelt dressed as a policeman, enforcing the law in New York. TIM: Then, in 1897, President William McKinley appointed Roosevelt as Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Navy. But it was in 1898, when the Spanish-American War broke out between the U.S. and Spain, that Roosevelt became a national hero. TIM: He quit his Navy post and formed a company of volunteers to fight in Cuba. An animation shows Roosevelt and a large group of men standing beneath a United States flag. TIM: Known as the Rough Riders, the ragtag group helped win a key battle at San Juan Hill. Dissolve to another image, showing the Rough Riders attacking a fort at San Juan Hill. MOBY: Beep? TIM: Well, it turned Roosevelt into one of the most famous men in America! He was elected governor of New York State that same year and began his term in January, 1899. As governor, he became well-known for establishing safer working conditions and fighting against pollution. An animation shows Roosevelt plugging up a polluting smokestack. TIM: Then, in 1900, he was elected vice-president of the United States under President William McKinley. An image shows a campaign button reading, McKinley and Roosevelt. TIM: When McKinley was assassinated the following year, Roosevelt became the youngest president in American history - he was just 42! The image of the button changes to show only Roosevelt. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, the first decade of the 1900s is known as the Progressive Era, because it was a time of reform. Tim's glasses slowly slide off; he readjusts them. Before then, working people had very little say in how they were treated. They often had to work long hours in unsafe conditions for very little pay. Images show adult and child factory workers under unsafe and unfair conditions. TIM: And huge corporations called trusts made it impossible for small businesses to compete. An image of three giant men towering over three small men illustrates how large businesses dominated small businesses. TIM: Roosevelt was determined to change this situation. He introduced policies to help workers, consumers, and small business owners. Later on, he'd call these policies the Square Deal. An image shows Roosevelt at his desk, signing legislation to help the people Tim described. TIM: Under his leadership, the government brought lawsuits against forty-four trusts, breaking them up into separate, smaller businesses. An animation shows Roosevelt breaking up the trusts. TIM: For his efforts, Roosevelt became known as a trustbuster. An image shows Roosevelt holding a paddle labeled "Trustbuster". TIM: He also signed the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act into law, protecting consumers against unsafe, unhealthy products. An animation shows Roosevelt stamping "Approved" on two pieces of legislation. MOBY: Beep? TIM: Yep. He was committed to protecting the environment, too. He created the U.S. Forest Service and established national parks, bird sanctuaries, national forests, and national monuments. Images show these environmental institutions. TIM: All in all, Roosevelt put 930,000 square kilometers of land under official government protection! MOBY: Beep? TIM: Actually, Roosevelt's foreign policy was pretty aggressive. The United States emerged as a major world power after the Spanish-American War, but Roosevelt believed the nation should be wise about using its newfound strength. His methods became known as Big Stick Diplomacy after his motto - "Speak softly and carry a big stick". He meant that the U.S. should negotiate peacefully with other nations but back up its word with the threat of a strong military. An image shows Roosevelt and his Big Stick approach to dealing with other countries. TIM: Roosevelt built up the U.S. Navy until it was the third-largest in the world. An image shows the emblem of the United States Navy. TIM: He used the military to help form the new nation of Panama, so the United States could build a canal there. An image shows a map of Panama. TIM: And he tried his best to keep European nations out of the affairs of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. MOBY: Beep? TIM: Well, Roosevelt left the White House in 1909, after serving two terms. But he was disappointed in his successor, William Howard Taft, so he wound up running for president again in 1912! An image shows Roosevelt walking away from the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial. TIM: He formed a new political party, called the Progressive Party, and he dedicated himself to continuing the fight against trusts and monopolies. An image shows the emblem of the Progressive Party. TIM: Roosevelt won more than 4 million votes but lost the election. He continued travelling, writing, and giving speeches until his death in 1919. Tim turns toward Moby and points to his fake moustache. TIM: Now, can you get this moustache off my face? Moby shakes his head no. MOBY: Beep. Tim grumbles. Category:BrainPOP Transcripts Category:BrainPOP Social Studies Transcripts